how could it be that one could take
sodium hydroxide (lye), mix it with a little bit of any number of fatty acids (olive oil, for example), and the resulting
product would no longer contain either lye or oil--but soap?
truly, a case of the whole being greater than the
sum of its parts.
it seems like magic, but really it's chemistry. sodium hydroxide molecules bond with fatty
acid molecules (at different rates for different fats); when these molecules bond, they change chemical composition and become
soap. the process is called saponification.
go ahead, say it out loud--it's a fun word: sa-PON-i-fi-cation
kind of rolls off the tongue, eh?
the soapmaker must be knowledgable regarding the composition of the
different fatty acids she plans to use, so as to determine the amount of lye needed. usually, the lye and the oils are not
matched up exactly--a discount in the amount of lye used is taken so as to leave some of the oils without lye molecule
partners. that way, some oils are left in the resulting soap to make one's skin feel more comfortable. this process--of
taking a lye discount and leaving excess fats in the soap--is called superfatting. most blessed juno soaps
are superfatted with unrefined shea butter, a luxurious nut butter from africa.
i don't know about you, but
i think the whole process is fascinating. can you tell i'm a teacher? class dismissed.
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